Firearms & Ballistics Overview

Revolvers

Firearms with advantages like simplicity and reliability but limited shots and slower reload

Semi Automatic Pistols

Firearms using recoil to operate, allowing faster firing and higher capacity

Rifles

Long-barreled firearms known for accuracy and difficult concealment

Shotguns

Firearms shooting pellets in a conical pattern, with no rifling in the barrel

Handguns

Most common murder weapon, constituting 72% of cases

Firearm Technology

Aims to enhance projectile accuracy, force, firing rate, and mechanism reliability

Caliber

The bore diameter of a firearm

Gauge

Shotgun diameter measurement, inversely related to size

Rifling

Helical twist in a firearm's bore for accuracy

Cartridges

Contain casing, primer, powder, and bullet

Comparison microscope

Instrument used to compare two objects side by side

Bullet

Projectile of a firearm

Propellent

Substance igniting gunpowder for bullet propulsion

Primer

Ignites propellants in a cartridge

Rifling Patterns

Different grooving styles in firearm barrels

Bullet Striations

Scratches on a bullet from rifling

Primer Components

Explosive compounds sensitive to shock

GSR Patterns

Gunshot residue testing for distance estimation

Gunpowder

Explosive substance propelling bullets

Marks on Casings

Distinctive imprints on firearm casings

Ballistics

Study of bullets in motion, including internal and external aspects

Crime Scene Reconstruction

Technique to position individuals at a crime scene

Bullet Trajectory Methods

Techniques to determine the path of a fired bullet

Bullet Ricochet

Bullet deviation due to impact, influenced by velocity and weight